Anonymous said...
I'm a lurker. I want a be a Moxling, but really, I'm not in the same league as all of you. So, let's just cut to the chase--how do you all keep your tupperware/plasticware organized and accessible?
Cheyenne said:
Hi Anonymous-Thanks for lurking. Your question is of utmost importance, as Tupperware in disarray is a nightmare that can affect every aspect of cooking and cleaning.
First things first: Make sure every piece has a lid. The ones that don't, toss 'em, find alternate uses (kids' sandbox, miscellaneous toys, earrings, whatever), but DON'T put them back in the drawer! Next, group your pieces by shape. Put the largest circle in first, followed by smaller ones. Repeat for rectangles and squares until they're all neatly nested. Then, unless you live in a palace with limitless space, you have to squeeze the lids in wherever you can, trying to keep circles near circles, and so on. If you have too many, weed them out. If you only use six of them, you don't need 15, you know? You can store the extras in a different cabinet, in the event that you freeze a zillion meals someday, you can take them to a swap, give them to your sister, anything to take the burden off your daily life. We rarely use everything we have, including clothes, so it's time to get real. You can also consider rotating their current home. Does this help? What else is troubling you?
(Watch for comments, as my Moxlings are geniuses, and are bound to have even more ideas!)
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Thanks for the tupperware tips. I will sort through my large plastic tub that is holding the loose pieces of tupperware and get them paired with their lids tonight (and probably when I'm watching TV). I'll use the lid-less containers to send treats/leftovers home with friends and use plasticwrap or foil as covers. Its intimately annoying to me to have this massive mismatched tub of plastic staring me down. I don't waste food, so I do tend to need the storage containers.
ReplyDeleteI have a few containers that I use for packing lunches to take to work and those stay in a safe spot. Frankly, I'm a little concerned about the dangers of microwaving in plastic (is it BPH? BHA? BHP? that seeps into food?) But, okay, I've been tasked, and I'm going to get to it tonight!
Thanks Moxie Queen!
Ms. K Sarna? Is that you? lol =)
ReplyDeleteWell I too can feel your pain. Long have I suffered with disheveled cabinets and/or overflowing Tupperware drawers. But no more. I finally had to simply make the choice and let everything I had go. Just let it go. My simple solution had been in front of me the whole time, with my dear friend Ina (who lives on TV). At Smart n' Final (or the Cash n' Carry for the Oregonians) they sell cylindrical, plastic deli containers. They have varying grades of thickness, and I prefer their thickest (with the brand name "Newspring") I purchase the 8oz, 16oz, and 32oz sizes, and stack them all in our deepest drawer (or cabinet). They are very inexpensive and come in quantity (it might be a 15 dollar investment to start) and best of all, they all use the EXACT SAME LID. So I have four neat and orderly stacks (small, medium, large, and lids). No more searching or fumbling. No muss. No fuss. The good news too, is that because they are so inexpensive, I don't give a second thought to sending left overs home with friends in them, or running the risk of accidentally leaving them somewhere. I use them in the fridge and the freezer, and they are dishwasher safe, and can be used again and again and again. They have been a godsend for me and my cabinets. And hey, if it is good enough for Ina, it is good enough for me. =)
Hope that helps Trucka... =)
I was going to suggest something but Jacob beat me to it. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteomg jacob. i <3 you for that suggestion. i must go to cash n' carry.
ReplyDeletei would really love to see pictures of the organized bins. i have yet to find a good location for ours.
oh, and maybe i've missed it somewhere, but do you have a list of all of the cleaning products you use? i've recently discovered a few new favorites and would love to hear what others use and for what.
ReplyDeleteJacob beat me to my idea too, he's a (priceless) bastard like that. I can give you crude, caveman answers, and Jacob can give you blue-ribbon-winning showcase answers. (I'm about to block him from the blog, I'm just sayin'...shhh...)
ReplyDeleteEmily-I hate Cash-N-Carry, on principle because of the name and its weird Burmuda Triangle location, so if you go there, can you pick me up some straws, lol?
Are you asking moi about solvents? I will be thrilled to post that asap, but right now, I'm trying to slap together some bullshit post for tomorrow during my surgery, so bear with a slight delay okay? Warning though, I'm not green.
Here is a picture of our Tupperware drawer, for those of you who were interested.
ReplyDeletehttp://anexquisiteextremeunknown.blogspot.com/
And sorry. Jeez. I wasn't trying to beat anyone to anything, or to steal anyone's thunder or spotlight. I didn't realize that I was overstepping my bounds by chiming in now and then with my own struggles/experiences/thoughts/opinions/ideas like everyone else. I have never claimed to be an expert, or to live in anything more than a gussied up refugee camp. I apologize if it has come off as anything other than that.
I wouldn't block Jacob. He's too lovely, and fucking good at domestic everything.
ReplyDeleteBack to tupperware though--i feel so hustled. Those gladware, ziplock a-holes have just programmed us into believing we need all there bs containers and really they are just junk that is designed to make us buy more and more--lids go astry, they warp in the micro, and they degrade and get leaky over time. Corporate jerks designing a subpar product just so they can keep us coming back for more.
Well, no more for me! I will switch over to the Ina inspired method. I would post a picture of my tupperware tub but it is literally horrifying.
Moxie Queen--take it easy and let yourself heal. The cleaning will be there for when you are in better shape health wise.